Automobiles built many years ago typically had "running boards" on either side of the car adjacent the passenger compartment. The running boards formed a step for helping passengers enter the car since the passenger compartment was significantly elevated above the ground. The running boards were spaced beneath the bottom edge of the passenger compartment. The gap between the running boards and the passenger compartment was covered with another piece known as a "splash apron".
The running boards were supported on a side frame member of the car by L-shaped running board brackets. One leg of each bracket, i.e. the vertical leg, was bolted to the side frame member. The other leg of the bracket, i.e. the horizontal leg, extended outwardly away from the side frame member. The running board was laid over the top of the horizontal legs of two such spaced brackets outboard of the splash apron and was secured thereto with threaded fasteners, such as bolts.
Cars having running boards of this type have not been built as original equipment for a long time. However, many such cars still exist and some are considered "classics" or "antiques". These cars are actively restored and collected by many people. Such a collector normally wishes the external and internal appearance of the car to be as accurate to the original as possible.
In many other cases, the basic design of a "classic" car serves as the foundation for a "street rod". In the case of a street rod, various departures are usually made from the design of the original car, such as using a modern engine which may be left exposed rather than being covered, using a modern suspension and tires, etc. However, the general outward appearance of the car, including the body shell, running boards, splash apron, and fenders, is often retained. In addition, a frame resembling the shape of the original frame is also used though the frame is usually modified for strength and cross-members are added to support late model drive trains. In fact, various companies provide reproduction chassis components, used in the building of street rods, which are duplicates of the corresponding original equipment parts. These components are known in the street rod trade as reproduction components, i.e. running board brackets that duplicate the original equipment running board brackets are referred to as reproduction running board brackets.
In many cars of the type popularly used in street rods, the original equipment gas tank was mounted in front of the passenger compartment adjacent the engine. These gas tanks were known as "cowl mounted" tanks as they were enclosed within the engine "cowl" with the filler tube for the tank typically coming up through the cowl to be closed by an external gas cap located on top of the cowl. However, cowl mounted tanks are not preferred today for a variety of reasons, one of which is safety. A cowl mounted tank poses a greater risk of fire and possible injury to the passengers in the event of an accident. Accordingly, tanks have been mounted in other places in street rods wherever available space can be found.
Saddle tanks for these cars have been designed to fit into the space between the side frame member of the car and the splash apron. Two such tanks, one on each side of the car, are typically used. The filler tubes for these tanks often extend out through the splash apron. Alternatively, the tanks can even be connected to a cowl mounted filler tube if the original appearance of the car is to be preserved to the maximum extent possible. The tanks are basically shaped to conform to the available space between the frame and the splash apron. When so installed, the tanks in normal operation and use of the car will be completely hidden by the splash apron and the adjacent running board.
In one known set of saddle tanks, the stock running board brackets, the faces of which are slightly rounded, are replaced with a custom set of running board brackets. These custom brackets have a flat horizontal leg on which the saddle tank rests. In addition, two elongated retaining straps extend around the saddle tank between the face of the side frame member and the horizontal legs of the bracket. The retaining straps hold the tank in place on the side frame member when the straps are bolted to the side frame member and the bracket.
While these saddle tanks are effective in storing fuel, such as gasoline, in a safer location than in a cowl mounted tank, they have a number of disadvantages. First, the custom running board brackets do not mount to the side frame member in the same manner as the stock brackets which they replace. Thus, additional holes have to be drilled in the side frame member for receiving the threaded fasteners used to hold the custom brackets in place and for receiving the fasteners used to secure the retaining straps to the side frame member. This involves more work and requires that the holes be precisely drilled in the right place. This can be difficult to do and costly to correct if the holes are incorrectly drilled.
Moreover, in the prior art saddle tanks held in place by retaining straps passing around the tank, the top of the tank has to be spaced below the top of the side frame member to accommodate the upper end of the strap and the bolt which secures that strap to the side frame member. This spacing is necessary to provide access to the strap bolt to allow the bolt to be tightened or untightened when the tank is installed or removed. However, the need for such spacing also decreases the tank capacity since there is this unused space between the top of the tank and the top of the adjacent side frame member. Obviously, it would be better if the tank could rise to be closer to the top of the side frame member in this area, thereby increasing the tank capacity.